The Belgian talked about his road to recovery from the injury that halted his spring campaign.
Just over a week ago, with around 90 kilometers left in Le Samyn, Deceuninck – Quick-Step lead-out man Bert Van Lerberghe was involved in a crash, catapulting him into a ditch with a broken left collarbone as unfortunate outcome, but the 27-year-old from Kortrijk is positive about his recovery and return to competition.
“I had surgery last Wednesday in Herentals. It went well and my collarbone is now almost back to normal. However, it turned out I also had a small fracture in my left elbow. Luckily, it’s not too bad and it didn’t require surgery, but up until today I can’t fully stretch my arm. I also bruised or fractured some ribs. The pain is bearable. I’m training almost pain free on the rollers now. My position on the bike is a bit different though, as I can’t fully stretch my elbow. But the good thing is I’m allowed to train on the rollers, which I do every day while watching Paris-Nice on TV and supporting my teammates, who have put on an admirable effort so far in the first part of the race.”
“In the meantime, I hope to put on as little weight as possible and not lose too much of my physical condition. By the end of the week I should be able to train outdoors, at least I hope so, after consulting with our sports directors. I hope to be race fit again for the Scheldeprijs or the Tour of Turkey. I completely understand that for the next races the fittest riders are selected, especially with the races that have been cancelled. It’s a shame, because I think I was doing well. It’s a personal setback, but it could have been worse. It’s only a fractured collarbone and things will be fine after some rest and recovery. They’re going in the right direction at the moment and I always try to remain confident.”
Photo credit: ©Maximiliano Blanco / Getty Images
Bert Van Lerberghe 